Thermo-electric battery



(NoModel.)

A. K. BATON.

ITHERMO ELECTRIC BATTERY.

No; 28,631. Patented o o. 4, 1883.

EEEEEEEEEE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASAHEL K. EATON, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

THERMO-ELECTRIC BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,631, dated December4, 1883.

Application tiled January 6, 1853. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, AsiHE. K. EATON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Brooklyn, vin the county of Kings and State of N ew York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ThermoElectricBatteries, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same.

It is well known that when the junctions of a circuit made of two metalsare at different temperatures a current of electricity generally flowsthrough the circuit. It is also a recognized fact that a current mayflow even when one metal only is used, provided it appeal' underdifferent molecular conditions.

The main object oi' my invention is to' produce a practicable anddurable thermal pile in which this property may be utilized, and forthis purpose l forni a series ci' elements of the same metal, butalternately hard and soft, by using for said elements chilled landunchilled metal. in this my invention chiefly consists, though itinvolves additional features of novelty and .importance-wiz., a thermalpile with elements of chilled and unchilled iron, and a series ofelements consisting of molded or cast sections or blocks, and composedof alternate sections of hard or chilled and soft or unchilled metal.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention embodied in apracticable and eiiicientv form.

Figure l is a vertical central section of a battery of elements 5 Fig.2, a plan view of one of the groups composing` said battery; and Fig. 3,a detached portion of Fig. l, showing the connection from one group ofelements to another.

The elements are formed in circular groups,

they'are much harder than the .elements A. The strips of sheet-ironshould be inserted in the molds in such positions. that they will occupythe center of the' chilled elements, as indicated in Fig. 2, where thedark line b indicates the iron strip in the completed element. Thearrangement of the elements, it will be understood, is purely arbitrary,though, for sonic reasons, the specified shape of the casting is thebest, the Amolding being rendered quite easy, andthe junctions of theelements being brought into the most favorable positions for theapplication of heat to one set and of cool air to the other. If thefirst and last elements of a group such as just described be providedwith binding-posts and connected by a wire, or otherwise, and heatapplied to the junctions at the center, a current will be developedwhich flows in the elements from the'seftiron or electro-positiveelements to the hard-iron or electro negative elements through theheated joints. The electrdniotive force producing the current in this orsimilar piles being comparatively low, it is usually necessary to employa considerable number of elements in series. For this purpose Iconstruct a battery consisting ot a number of the groups described,placed one above the other, and connected up by joints formed in anysuitable Way between the ends of the last soft-iron element vof' onegroup and the rst hard-iron element of the group next above or below. Ialso employ means of insulating the groups and of increasing thedifferences in, temperature between the inner and outer junctions, thenature of which will be described by reference to Fig. 1.- On a suitablestand or base any desired number of the circular groups (desi gnated F GH, Sie.) is placed. f The groups or plates are separated a shortdistanceby rings of infusiblc insulating material N, which may be composed ofasbestus-paper caused to adhere by a paste of silicate of soda. Theinterior spaces between the soft and hard elements of each group arefilled in with an infusible insulating substance, (designated by theletter M.) A good material for this purposc'isl a mixtureef groundquartz or asbestus with silicate of soda. The last hard element of eachgroup has an ear or lug, f, projecting from its end, which is bolted tothe soft element, which forms the terminal of the group next above IOOor below, as the case may be. Allthe groups are connected up in seriesin this manner. This method of connection, however, is an arbitrary one,as other means maybe empl eyedas, for instance, binding-posts may bejo-ined to the terminal elements of each group, so that the whole may becoupled in series or for quantity by separate-connections or'wires. Inthe per, or brass-and in place of forming the series or groups in themanner set forth Il may' out each'1 section separately and unite them inany proper manner.

z 5 I am aware that heretofore a metallic wire hardened by drawingandthen softened at intervals by the application of heat has beenemployed in demonstrations of the; property or principle upon which thisinvention is based; 3o .but in such cases it .is evident -'that therequire` ments of a practicable battery are not fulfilled, inasmuch asthe cross-section of the elements is necessarily very small, while themetal is in condition, and thus destroys iron, I may useothermetals-such as steel, cop* such condition that the application of heat`brings bothelcments to the same molecular 35 their capability ofgenerating current. By my invention, however, blocks or sections oflarge size and convenient shape may be produced, -whichare ilotinjuriously affected by the application of 4Q eat.

The' methods of producing the batteries dcscribedare -not .claimedherein, as I intend niakingthe same thesubject of other applications.

1. thermal pile the elements of which ar: composed of. chil ledand,unchilled metal, as herein setforth.

2. A. thermal pile the elements of which are composed of alternateblocks of chilled and unchil-led metal, as described. '13. thermal pilethe 'elements of which are ,composed of chilled and unchilled iron,respectively, as set forth. l v 4'.v A series orgroup-of electro-thermalele- -ments cast in one piece and composed of alter nate sections ofchilled and soft iron, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I -have hereunto set 6o my hand this 2d day ofJanuary, 1883.

A. K. Enron.

Witnesses L. GAYLORD, W. L RIANHARD.

